Hello. I had an unplanned c-section 2 weeks ago after a 32 hour labor. I now have unexplained right side rib pain (extremely strong), abdominal pain and what feels like a bladder infection. I have tested negative for an infection (so far) and a CT scan showed no gall stones or internal bleeding. I am trying a different round of antibiotics but the surgeon is a bit baffled at this point. We both are. I looked online and found these exact same symptoms mentioned by other people - but no answers. The rib pain feels like a contused rib (but it's not) made worse by breathing deeply and made much worse by lying down flat. The abdominal pain is the same and the pain that feels like a bladder infection is somewhat excruciating. The doctor gave me percocet, but the rib pain walks right through it. Has anyone heard of this? Or have any clue what it might be? I'd like to solve it, get treated, get off painkillers and enjoy my new baby. Thanks in advance for any help.

Well I can't say I can explain or give an answer for why this is happening but my sister also had an unplanned emergnecy c-section due to my nephew being breech and she struggled with pain for weeks after. Like you said no one could really explain the pains or infection like symptoms with no infection but it did gradually go away. Although she still says she feels random pains in her belly around the c section scar and its been 2 years later. I guess things in the c section world are still unknown to a point but I really so wish the best for you and just remember it will go away.

Hi there!
I had an unplanned C-section as well with my first baby and remember for 2-3 weeks afterwards had a lot of pain - and not just pain where the incision was, but different places all over my abdomen, somtimes dull pain, sometimes sharp, shooting pains. Very weird. Sometimes when you tear or strain muscles, it can be VERY painful. I felt increased pain at one point when lying down flat, and I attributed it to that - a strained muscle which took awhile to heal. Additionally, I had a very bad reaction to the catheter (sp) that I had put in for the C-section, it really irritated my urinary tract for weeks afterwards and made me feel like I had a UTI (same symptoms, feeling the need to go all the time, sensitivity, etc.) but it was just from being irritated by the catheter. Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience and these are all guesses, but the first two weeks following surgery are the most difficult and painful - its all downhill from here. Pretty soon you will be feeling much better and can enjoy that new baby - take care!

I had a c-section almost 6 months ago. I feel great now, but in the beginning I had awful stomach pains. I thought I had to go to the bathroom but it was just gas. I have read that they take your intestines out and/or move them around a lot. So I'm picturing a garden hose with air pockets, and it just takes a while for the pockets to go away. I do have diarrehea that comes on very quickly sometimes, and I'm still not sure if it's c-section related or not. (My diet hasn't changed since having the baby.) I posted a thread on another board but got no responses from anyone who had had a c-section. I just keep reminding myself that it's major surgery and a very stressful time in a woman's life. Hang in there. It has to get better!

I had a planned c-section 8 weeks ago and the recovery was terrible. Even though I had not had a BM before leaving the hospital, they let me leave because I was passing gas. I kept asking if this was normal and they said yes. So on a Sunday I went home. By Tuesday, I was in the emergency room with excruciating constipation, severe abdominal pain, awful back pain and violent nausea/vomiting/retching.

I hardly remember the days in the hospital because I was in so much pain. After numerous x-rays, CT scans, sonograms, and bloodwork tests, the Drs (who included my OB, a gastroenterologist, two general surgeons and a urologist) came to the conclusion that I was suffering from complications from the c-section and that the percocet had caused my bowels to become more constipated than ever before. Basically, my official diagnosis was that I was "full of poop," which caused all of the other symptoms.

I spent four days in the hospital, missed my son's bris, could hardly pick him up for at least two weeks because my stomach still hurt so much, and was emotionally drained. My stomach is better now, but I don't feel back to normal. I still continue to take colace twice a day. And I have found that eating an Activia yogurt every day helps to keep things moving.

It's really rough recovering from major surgery, and the fact that the intestines are shuffled around during a c-section doesn't make it any easier. My advice to those recovering from a c-section is to take it really easy, keep taking colace, eat the yogurt and insist on a plan of action if you haven't pooped by the time you are discharged.

Fish oil supplements. My mom gave them to me and I started taking one a day instead of the colace which didn't seem to do a thing for me. Give it a shot - they are decent for you even if they don't work for you the same way.

Last edited by Mod08; 09-09-2008 at 06:19 PM.
Reason: Copied out Mistina's message into a new separate thread.